Padre Pio

"But who do you say that I am?" Lk 9:20

One of the most important and uncomfortable steps in the spiritual life is letting go of the ideas and practices with which we grew up.  As a child I was taught, or believed, that morning prayers, prayers before class in the parochial school, meal prayers and night prayers were all I needed to learn and do as a good Catholic boy.  Of course, I was also expected to go to Mass on Sunday, confess my sins most Saturday's (as long as I could avoid Fr. D who was loud and harsh!), and learn to serve mass. But none of  these practices were my prayers. They were obligations  I had to fulfill, not celebrations to enjoy.  To be a catholic, I thought, was to wait upon God's grace and be thankful when it came.  I went to mass, waited for the priest's word to which I would respond and waited for his absolution, all actions done to me, not something I initiated.

Of course, these practices and my attitude were supposed to change as I grew into adulthood, but it was difficult.  Becoming responsible for myself, not just in the prayers I spoke or recited, but for finding time to pray quietly and entering more deeply into the mystery of God's love was a stressful transition.  Like most of us, I imagine, I preferred that mother church prepare and serve the evening meal, and I would eat gratefully and joyfully.  But the church pushed me, especially after the Second Vatican Council, to learn how to cook, to take responsibility for feeding myself and others.  It was difficult, and sometimes still is but clearly it is our personal responsibility to gather with other people of faith, reflect on the scriptures and mysteries of the church, and live an active and responsible Catholic life. We are not called to be passive recipients of grace, but active players in the mystery of salvation.

Today I want to suggest that Jesus' question to the disciples was hard for them to hear.  Jesus asks them who they think he is, but, I suspect, they wanted and expected him to tell them.  They would receive, respond and react to Jesus as he led them into Jerusalem. They were happy to be his foot soldiers and do the grunt work, but he would be the general and give the orders.  Nevertheless, perhaps out of his own anxiety, Peter responds quickly that Jesus is the Christ of God,  only to have his answer met with a rebuke not to speak too quickly for as yet he did not understand that the Lord would have to suffer much and would call upon him to bear heavy burdens. 

The joy in all of this is that, over time,  Jesus slowly revealed to Peter, his disciples (and us) the fullness of his identity and role, which allowed them to grow in responsibility, understanding and strength. Slowly they would not only understand but become the body of Christ on earth,  the hands and feet, the eyes and ears of Christ for others.  Most probably the disciples could not have even imagined this when they were new in the service of God, but it is clearly what they and we are challenged to be.

Letting go of the God who will do everything and allowing the Lord to shape us into the body of Christ on earth is not something that happens passively.  We don't simply sit and wait for God to act upon us. Rather, we are expected to be active participants in the life of God on earth.  Like all changes, this is not easy, but the Lord himself reminds us that "for human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible," (Mt 19:6), even that a camel could pass through the eye of needle. Don't be afraid.